Greater Hartford Red Cross Helps Midwest Flood Victims

July 15, 1993

In his 10 years as a Red Cross disaster worker, Roger Olsen of Enfield has witnessed a lot of human tragedy, but little compares with his latest assignment of trying to feed and comfort flood victims in Sioux Falls, S.D.

"Most disasters happen, and then the people have to face it, and they slowly get back on their feet," Olsen said. But in Sioux Falls, heavy rain and thunderstorms have not abated and are expected to continue their assault through Saturday.

"We have one town where the people are very, very tense because the river goes up, and then it goes down. It's the uncertainty that's creating a lot of tension," said Olsen, who is directing Red Cross food-relief efforts in rural southeastern South Dakota.

"There's been a real concern about the floodwaters producing water-borne illnesses. ... Some of our people are getting shots at their option," Olsen said.

Olsen is among four workers sent to the Midwest by the Greater Hartford chapter of the American Red Cross. Two more are on the way.

Meri Weiss of West Hartford is counseling flood victims from a church basement in Ames, Iowa.

Weiss arrived in Bettendorf, Iowa, a staging area for emergency operations, and on Monday was deployed to Ames, Iowa, a college town in the center of the state where, she said, "It's wet, and it's still raining."

At Ames, Squaw Creek joins the Skunk River, and high water has flooded the business district and a number of homes. Sixty trailers were destroyed in one trailer park, she said.

"It's devastating," she said. "People, really, they've lost everything. Since the water has not receded, it's very difficult for some people to return to their homes and assess what the damage is."

Olsen's three-week deployment began in Sioux Falls on July 5.

As with most disasters, he said, "The first week is pretty much bedlam," and he worked from 6 a.m. to near midnight the first few days.

"I coordinate all the disaster food service for the southeast portion of the state. We've got roughly 40 people on board here [at

Axtell Middle School] to do that."

Much of the food prepared at the school goes out on seven emergency-response vehicles -- large square vans with equipment to keep food hot or cold -- for trips to rural southeast South Dakota. The vans serve food directly from the vehicle.

The volunteers have served about 7,000 meals in six days, he said.

The Greater Hartford chapter of the Red Cross has also sent Enfield residents Maria Johnson and Lee Rhodes to St. Louis, said spokeswoman Maryland Lincoln. In addition, she said, Charles Thayer of New Britain is on his way to Bettendorf, Iowa. Patricia Martin of Winsted is expected to leave for St. Louis later this week